Orchard Bank - Rip Off

Orchard Bank - Rip Off

September 28, 2006

First let me state that everyone should seriously looked into the hundreds of complaints filed against Orchard Bank before they consider doing business with them. I writing this e-mail to protect others from the scamming practices of Orchard Bank. In April 06, I applied and received an Orchard Bank credit card with a balance of $300.00. I recently had some credit problems which I'm well on my way to correct. Orchard Bank advertises that they are the perfect bank to help folks as they try to repair their credit. Well, six months later I received notification that my interest rate was increasing from about 14% to 29%. I paid my bill every month on time without issues. When I called them they told me that they reserve the right to review my credit status with the credit reporting agencies (Equifax they stated), and based on my credit they could increase my rate. I checked with Equifax and they have no record of being contacted by Orchard bank. Also, my credit position is better today then it was when I received the card six months ago. The rude and obnoxious folks at Orchard Bank has told me on three separate occasions that would send me a detailed letter explaining the increase but they could not do anything for me. After doing some research I find that I'm not the only one they have done this to. It seems the scam is this....suck folks in with less than perfect credit. Charge high annual fees which we all pay, then double the interest rate once you have the customer hooked. If you cancel the card they win as well since you have already paid a ridiculously high annual fee just to get the card. They win in both cases. Is this legal??? If anyone is considering Orchard Bank do your homework first and find the hundreds of complaints I later found about them.

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The problem with Orchard bank. Even if you never go over your limit and make you're payments on time. They never raise you're credit limit. No matter what. I recently bought a house that BOFA financed. They told me that any card with a low limit lowers you're credit score because their card makes you look untrustworthy because of the low limit. If you really want a credit card? You are better of getting a secured card and making your payments on time. They give you your deposit back after a year of good payment history. A higher limit looks better when you go to open another credit account. Not to mention the high interest rates and fees! Just my opinion but stay away from those cards that will only give you a $300.00 limit.

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I have had a Orchard card for about a year and 14 months. I have had crappy credit for alot of years( 525 score all credit bureaus) I have always made 50,000 plus so I never paid much attention to my credit. I have been attacking my credit this past year. I got a card to build my credit. I never missed a payment. Always paid on line. When they hit me up with my yearly fee I got pissed and cancelled. About 1 week later I hired Lexington law to help. They informed me to see if I could reinstate my card. Hsbc did so. I know they charge high interest, but oh well I needed to build my credit. I always had a high balance so I never so my score go up much. I payed it down to a zero balance my fico scores started to go up. Last month they gave me a 200. Month increase. Now it's up to 500.00. My scores have gone up the last couple of months I have a 679, 639, 595. My 595 has a judgement that should come off my credit real soon. I honestly believe that my card has helped my score tremendously. I haven't been above 600 in 15 years. Orchard didn't report my zero balance for 2 months. They finally did.

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i just got a Orchad Bank card with $300

charges about $100 and put an early payment of $180 with my bank routing info. There is a hold, no problem...BUT they also took $179 out of my $300 for the $180 payment!!! We are talking about a possible amount into the account from my bank issues a $179 out of my total credit. I called them, and that is how it is.SO if I would of prepaid $210 instead of 180, I would of had negative credit and possible got charged for this..Luckly no late charges from this yet. They said if I pay with a debt card, this would not happen. I will see with a small $20 payment after the hold is done. Has anyone ever heard of a bank no knowing what a + or - is on an account? May contact the district attorney in both states if a fee happends.

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credit is what i do, but i must say you did a heck of a job rebuilding your credit... congrats!!!!!!

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I do not understand how this card can legally stay in business. my opinion is they make political contributions to the government and that's why the government can not shut them down because they're the ones who put them in office in the first place, but that' sjust my opinion. is called corruption!

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I too have bad credit and can only get a credit card through Orchard Bank. So when Orchard Bank offered me a credit card, I accepted it along with the fees and APR's. The way I figure it is: if in my past I refused to pay back money that I borrowed (that's what a credit card does, it allows me to borrow money), the lender, when I ask to borrow some more money, has the right and the obligation to stock holders to charge me whatever rate and fees he or she wants to. (Yes, it's a form of punishment for me, but it will assure that I practice the lesson that I've learned). I have the right and choice to either accept or reject their offer. While I do sympathize with people, especially single mothers, who may be trying to make ends meet in a tough economy, there are plenty of us out here who have ruined their credit just because we could. If you had the money to pay the bill, but decided that the party at the bar was more important, or the price of that vacation to that exotic island was more important, then pay up and shut up, or find another way to fund your life. If your negligance was due to medical issues, I feel for you on that level. I am currently paying a $2300.00 hospital bill because I did not have insurance. I'm not crying about it, I'm just paying it. But not with my Orchard Card!There is always a way....leagally, to take care of yourself. You just have to use your brain and explore all, not some but all, of the possibilities.

James W. Bridgeport CT.

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They all do this. Try getting a card with a 20K limit, pay on time and have them jack up the interest rate to 29%. They are all crooks and I am waiting for just one politician to step up and put them in their place, or revert back to being able to file the interest on your tax returns.

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I'm a 29 year old female. I had bad credit for about 9-10 years. Basically, since I was thrown credit cards as soon as I entered college in 1999 I've had bad credit. If you have, or are thinking about getting an Orchard Bank, Household Bank, First Premier Bank, or GE Money Care Credit credit card, please read what I have experienced.

In 2007 my credit score was 502. I had one credit card in good standing on my credit report. That card was Household Bank credit card that I received in July 2002. I have only been late on that card once which was in January 2004 because I lost my job. My credit was bad due to 20+ medical bill debts, 5+ other credit cards I had when I was 18 (and stupid with money and credit - Those cards were MBNA, Discover, Cap1, Providian, and another one that starts with an M...) Anyways, in June 2007 I hit the lowest point in my life and decided I was going to change it all. I got a good job (as good as you can without a degree at my age with my skills - obviously I didn't graduate college when I went) and began paying every single cent I had toward all this debt. Half of my income went to the debt on my credit report. Keep in mind I had 30+ creditors wanting money so payments were stretched VERY thin at first. After one year I had paid off $10,000 of debt off of my credit report (I grossed $23k that year). My score was still a 502, BUT also remember I said I had one credit card in good standing in June 2007 (Household Bank). Well, in September 2007 I got a First Premier Bank credit card. It had a $250 limit which would increase after 60 days if payments were received on time. Done! It was increased to $300. Ha! As of today the limit is $400. Anyways, they offered me another First Premier Bank credit card in April 2008. Its starting limit was $300. Both had $125 processing fees, APRs of 9.99%, annual fee of $48, $84 enrollment fee (this is the fee they charge me $7 each monthly for because in their words "they report my payments and balance to all credit bureaus monthly). Ok� Fine. I'll do it because I have little credit and horrible credit. Today my APR for both is 12.99%. I've had an Orchard Bank credit card since May 2008. My initial limit was $300 and my APR was 14.99%. I always read all the fine print when receiving new credit cards/offers. My annual fee is $59. I have never missed a payment nor have I been late on a payment since I have received the card. I received a credit limit increase in May 2009 of $100 so my limit is now $400. In February of 2010 my APR went from 14.99% to 19.99%. [Note to everyone: ALL OF MY INTEREST RATES ON ALL OF MY CARDS INCREASED IN FEBRUARY 2010.] I have always paid my payments online using www.orchardbank.com. I have never had an issue submitting payments. I have never been assessed any late fees because of payments. As of Friday there is no balance on this card (or any of my other 5 credit cards). I called yesterday to see if they would increase my limit and lower my APR because my credit score is now in the 750 range. They said because of the crap going on with the economy there has been a hold on increasing limits and lowering APRs. It sucks for me, but I can understand that. People like to charge money, but have a hard time paying it back. Not that it is anyone's fault (layoffs, etc.). No one wants to have bad credit.

I paid off all taxes to the IRS and medical bills in June 2010. That only left me with credit card debt. After paying off all my credit card debt last week, I got curious about my cards (because yes, they aren't great cards to have) and I came upon this and quite a few other websites with people complaining. I just want to share my experience with what I know (not saying I know a lot or that I know everything).

In January 2010 I needed dental work done and didn't have the funds in the bank to cover the $3,000. I only had $1,500. So, I applied for the Care Credit and was approved for $800. I made a payment of $800 and asked for a credit limit increase. They raised it to $1500. Perfect! I had no interest for 6 months and, to be honest, after paying the remaining balance of $600 off last week, I was barely even charged any interest. I think it was $10 or something hardly even noticeable. In July 2010 I received an offer for an American Express card. I jumped at that even though it has an annual fee of $95 after the first year. With Orchard and Household, at times I was only able to pay $5 over my minimum payment of $15-$25 and though it wasn't significant, I did it. I went without nice clothes (and still am) and going out and having fun because I was trying to pay off all the other debt on my report and still do what I had to for the "good stuff" on my report. With FPB I paid $30 per month. Now keep in mind $7 of that is gone because of the monthly fee so $23 went toward my balance. It was so painful to watch my balance creep down, but it did and now it is $0. Also keep in mind I did use the card too. Back when I got the card sometimes I had to take it up to the limit if I needed gas or food. With Care Credit I paid no less than $50 per month. Usually I paid $100. My minimum payment for that was $25. With my American Express, I charged my school books on that and paid it off 3 days later. That isn't a card I'm going to use unless I really have no other option.

I just want to share my story and experience. And I know we are all different. Please keep in mind, I am in school (yes again, but actually doing well this time) and I was working until May when I got laid off. For 2009 I claimed $18,126 before taxes. For 2008 I claimed $18,926. (Weirdly enough just an $800 difference from 2009) For 2007 I claimed $23k (can't remember exact amount). Granted, I don't have a house or car payment. (I do pay out the rear for rent though) I don't have any kids. I do have a dying and disabled mother that I help take care of. As you can see I don't make that much money. If you are serious about paying off your debt, then you have to do all you can to do so. I checked my balances, due dates, etc. WEEKLY. I mailed my FPB payments, but you can make payments over the phone for free as long as it's not for the date you are calling (there is an $11 fee for same day). If you are going to mail your payments, mail them 2 weeks ahead. I usually mailed mine 10 days so there was no excuse and I never had a single problem with any other my credit cards. Mailing or making payments 2-3 days before is just not good enough. I'm not judging you. Trust me, I'm the last person to judge anyone. That's not my job. Take responsibility for your own actions. If you can't afford a credit card, then don't get one. If you are in debt and have a poor credit report/score, you will have to pay to get good credit. As they say nothing in this life is free.

Here's my thing... if you get paid on the 20th and your payment is due on the 15th, then your payment needs to come out of and be mailed or made with the money from your check on the 20th. From June 2007 to June 2008 I got paid once a month. It was the last business day of the month. I made Excel spreadsheets to budget how my money was to be spent. I still have them. It amazes me to this day. If your payment is due on the 5th, don't wait until you get paid on the 4th. Make the payment from the previous check. You're going to need to make sacrifices. Like I said I have no nice clothes. I have one pair of jeans. Now that I have no credit card debt, I'm not going to go buy clothes to put the debt right back on those cards. I'm going to save up. It may take a bit, and I may buy a $20 shirt with a card, but I can live with that. And I can afford the payment and interest from the credit card.

If any of you have any questions I'd be happy to help in any way. I'm not a specialist. I'm just someone who climbed out of the credit report depths of Hell. Now, I'm going to work on my student loans from 1999-2002... :-P

If you are having problems finding where to make online payments, I have them all bookmarked. Here ya go:

www.householdbank.com

www.orchardbank.com

www.firstpremier.com

http://www.carecredit.com/cardholder/resource/index.html (click on access your account button on right toward top)

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About the comment posted Thursday, 10-Jun-10 17:17:56 CDT you should be ashamed of yourself and thank the Good Lord that you are not disabled. I am not either but when you are disabled and then taken advantage of by a scam it is even worse. SHAME ON YOU.

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concerning the poster that states they have a nightmare because they are being called at work, I am wondering is that legal nowadays? I seem to remember a newspaper article stating that if you sent them a certified letter telling them not to contact at work then they cant. You dont endanger anybodys job particularly nowadays.

When I was young they would send you a note if your account was late, and only phone if the amount was serious. There was none of this "you should have sent $15.00 2 days ago" business. A couple of years ago I mistakenly wrote a monthly payment that was $2.00 short.Much to my surprise I got a phone call all the way from India about that $2.00.I now use layaway, and my debit card. If that doesnt work I wait.

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Dont go near Orchard Bank. I closed my account over a year ago because they kept claiming it arrived late. Thank heavens the credit limit was only $300.00. At the time I closed it the balance was about $275.00 Since that time they still claim the same thing and due to a family tragedy I have missed 2 $15.00 payments. The rest of them have been made. They now claim the balance is $360.00. They keep charging bank charges over and over again. I informed their rep.of the situation. They still call me 6 times a

day. I am elderly and disabled.

I pointed out to them several months ago that I had paid the original $300.00 many times over, and would they accept $150.00 in full and final payment. They declined.

I am glad to hear that many people including myself are moving to cash and debit cards.

I heard they were British. I am so ashamed as that was the land of my birth.

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Just as you could care less about someone elses opinion. No one really cares that you are disabled!! On the other hand, why did you have a credit card? You couldn't control your finances?? I think that was somewhat rude. I think that just b/c you have a credit card doesn't mean that you can't control your finances. I have awesome credit and can control my finances. I pay my balance off at least three times a month. When I make a payment to Orchard Bank there is no way in hell that they should hold that payment for two weeks!! HELLO, EFT!! Isn't that what routing numbers are for?? Electronic does not mean TWO WEEKS. This company is a rip off. BIG TIME. If you have the money and its been deducted out of my account how do you post the money on my statement stating you received it but put a hold on it at the same time?? Yeah, nonsense to me. I work in banking/finance and its a scam. They are getting money from the interest on your card. I got no where with the customer service or the managers. I will be canceling this card as soon as the payment is posted.

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Understand that many consumers have had problems with Orchard but I've had them for many years and have never had a problem. I pay my account on line and they ensure that it's taken care of. Now, one thing about their annual APR that they tell everyone or send to everyone. It's all in black and white and if you don't agree with them, cancel your account and move on. They are following the rules plus one additional item that obviously many have forgotten about.

In May 2005, Business Week magazine hand a story regarding the impending increase in interest rates. Most credit agencies who the cards go through would double the interest rate on credit cards to do one of two things; make people pay off the cards and as they realized, people who have credit problems, don't make payments on time, etc., it forces them to cancel the cards, absorb the credit but they also will dun you until the account is taken care of. I had this problem with several cards prior to 2005 and simply stated in writing, return receipt, I am attempting to rectify the payment issue and requested they work with me. Some did and some didn't.

For those credit card companies, banks, etc., which jumped on the bandwagon early on, they are doing what they stated in 2005. Now comes the financial crunch in 2008. It hurt everyone, including the credit companies. People couldn't pay and just ignored their outstanding balance; credit scores went into the dumps, but for the most part, people moved on.

If you don't like Orchard or any one of the numerous other agencies, why stay with them. Take the loss, move on. I've lost about $4,000 compared to nearly $75,000 I could have lost. I've contacted companies, worked out deals, but for those who just aren't flexible, the ^&**%( with them. I'll pay when I get the money and give them what I can afford. I'm retired, disabled, and living on a limited income. Do most care? No, but others will work with you. The agencies can lower their interest rates but they don't have too. If you still don't agree, well, no one can prevent that. It's your opinion and everyone has one. If you don't like the double interest rates on cards, cancel them, pay them off, and use cash only. That's what I have done for years now. I now have only one card and yes, it is Orchard, and yes, they've treated me fairly. If I do have issues, I talk to them and they do help me out. Also, my payments are scheduled at least ten days before the due date. Just because you send a payment in two or three days before the due date don't mean that they will credit your account before hand. Quite the contrary...Say your date is the 1st. Payment is received by the agency the day before and a weekend is only a day away. Your payment will be credited on the next working day and/or whenever they get to the account among all the other accounts. Yes, it could take up to 10 days so make sure you allow for holidays, and that 10-day window. They don't have to credit the account the same day they receive payment.

OK, off the soapbox. Cancel, switch, move on. Cash is still acceptable at most places and who needs credit cards anyway. If you've extended yourself because you can't control your finance, then maybe you need to talk to a financial counseler and straighten everything out. Credit consolidation loans are good and make minimal payments over a period of time and most agencies will work with banks, credit unions and accept repayments.

Hey, it's all in your hands and you can dictate within reason. Work with people and they'll work with you. Enough said. Good luck.

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I've experienced the same thing and I've never been late on a payment...ever! I just received a new "Notice of Change in Terms" in the mail today (6-3-10). Orchard has addressed the following issues BUT, have added additional rules! They will now have fixed payment due dates, payments made over the Minimum Payment will be applied to balances with higher APR's before lower APR's, no longer a fee for online payment (which is why it's the only CC I have to pay through my bank to avoid this fee, "Expanded payment windows"...you can pay until 5:00 p.m. on the day it's due before a fee applies, Enhancements to statements...whoo-hoo; most of these should have been implemented a long time ago so I guess our griping online has had an effect. Beware, read the new fine print because they're going to get you one way or the other! I'm going to cancel this card.

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I got a new card for myself through orchard bank after my wife was informed they do not add additional users to accounts, so I could not be added to her account. It is clearly printed in their Feb 2010 revision of there account disclosure agreement that she could have an additional user on her account. The supervisor refused to add me after she demanded it stating they havent done it in the 6 years she has worked for the company. She hung up on my wife then. So I opened a new card and my first payment was due 6-1-2010 in the amount of 15.00 but I paid 197.59 (full balance) on 5-15-2010, they put a 14 day hold on my payment even though my bank paid the payment into their account on 5-17-2010. I then called on 5-25-2010 after I paid 100.00 (full balance)and asked they release the hold since I had a $0 balance but it would appeared like I was at 99% of my credit limit with only a $3 available credit on a 300 card! If it was reported to the credit bureau as they had it listed it would in fact lower my credit score even though I had perfect standing. They refused to release the hold until the 14th day and then hung up on me. I am appauled by the customer service.

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WATCH OUT FOR PAYMENT ALERTS AT ORCHARD BANK !!! THEY ARE TRAPS TO MAKE YOU PAY LATE FEES !!!

The alerts do not work and Orchard will send you to tech support to enter a ticket.

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Is any one would like to contact them, I found a number!

http://www.ouraccessibility.com/1/2/

It can be found on their online banking website. I did some digging.

1-866-535-2964 hope this helps!

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The terms of the credit card are right there, in black and white, to read when you fill out the application. The possibility of an APR raise is made very clear. Sure, it's not ideal, sure, an annual fee sucks, but look, the reason that most of us have OB cards is because we have had credit problems. We're risks. So there will be some caveats and personally, I haven't had a problem with any of them.

My credit tanked about three years ago and I've been building it back slowly ever since. My ex-husband and I were charging thousands and he was NOT paying the bills. Since he handled the finances, stupidly I had no idea what was going on until it was too late. And then the bills were so high, I kept putting off payment...and putting it off...it was the worst time in my life, by far. After our divorce, I personally paid off the $20K in credit card debt and was left with 12, yes, 12 charged off accounts. This is pretty much the worst offense credit-wise, other than bankruptcies and judgments. Since 2007,

I hung onto my BoA card as that's my highest limit, which is why I keep it at home in a drawer and have used it only for emergencies, which has been rare. It sounds silly, but I'm proud of the way I have trained myself to live without credit at all. If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. The OB card is perfect for me because it helps me rebuild, is easy to manage, and has a decent limit. I use it for purchases I'd otherwise use my debit card for, things like groceries and gas and other bills I have budgeted for. This way, I know I can always pay the bill in full. The MINUTE I get the email alert that my bill is ready, I pay the total balance. I don't wait for the last day before the due date, I don't pay the bare minimum. I realize that some can't avoid this, and so I understand that it can be frustrating to see payments posted late and have late fees applied. But in my experience, these cards are best suited for those who are building back credit and do not NEED them. If you can't pay the full balance or close to it, and you can't pay it in plenty of time to allow for late posting, perhaps it's best to cease using it. I'm certainly not judging--it's just what I've learned. GL.

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I totally agree with you. They are thieves. I under paid my bill by 97 cents and they charged me a $39 fee plus doubled my interest rate. I have never paid them late and they were unwilling to remove the charge or reduce my interest rate. I advise anybody considering applying for the card to NOT DO SO!!

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Well, look at it this way...let's say your credit was already in the dump. So you apply to get this MasterCard. You make all your payments on time at the APR of 14%. After a probationary period, Orchard Bank decides you are faithful to your commitment and decide that they can raise your APR because they know you'll pay it. I'm looking at the application online right now and it says "Please note that we have the right to change your APRs, fees, and other terms at any time for any reason in accordance the Cardmember agreement and applicable law." So they tell you about that even before you fill out the form. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, and quit'cho bitchin'!

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You can't win by not using the card because of the anual fee of $39. I had not used my card in 10 months and it had a zero balance the entire time, so I kept it. Then I received a bill for the annual $39 fee for the card for the following year. I had no intention of using it, so I called and was told that the best they could do is charge me half the fee for the card and they advised me that if that is not acceptable to me that they would close out the card so I couldn't use it and charge me the entire $39. That seems criminal to me somehow, almost like black mail. I paid the $19.50 and now I'm afraid to close the card because I will have to pay the other $19.50. Yet I will never use it again.

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I had the same problem - they held my payment because the next day the would have assessed an overlimit fee. Instead of being honest and applying the payment to my balance and not charging me a $35 overlimit fee, you know what they did? Of course you do. They held my payment and charged me the fee! I was lucky - able to pay off my card in full the next day and that is exactly what I did - I will never use Orchard Bank AGAIN!

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well, good for you. I am sure the MILLIONS of unhappy customers who this company has screwed over are wrong and YOU are right...idiot...

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My God Orchard Bank is the worst.

Their online payment system sucks. It's designed to cost you money unless you babysit your account each month. Total Scam.

Setup automatic payments from my bank and two months later I get a call from Orchard that my account is past due and over limit!

Was told automatic payment setup was not setup and I owed fees...

Argued that their must be a problem on their end and asked why I did not get an alert until now?

Never the less I was robbed. Charged $50+ in fees...

Take my advise do not deal with Orchard/HSBC, Capitol One and Providian Bank. They pray on the poor...

These card companies are just another way to get in more credit trouble.

My advise is to open a Bank of America or Credit Union account. Secure a credit card. After one year Bank of America will refund your deposit! Credit Unions also value your business.

In time you will recover.

Keep in mind the world belongs to the devel... Credit score is 666 sign of the beast. Don't fall into the trap!

Thanks,

Davidbillings.com

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I agree with you on this. The same thing happened to me. They didn't even notify me of the increase. I got a statement and notice my apr jumped to 29% Making the minimum monthly payments doesn't take much off the balance. There are so many credit card companies out there that just take advantage of people with bad credit. There fees are rediculous. Its like were just giving them free money. Total card is a perfect example. Its like your paying them $200 just to borrow $50. I signed up for that card and it came with $200 worth of fee already and only $50 was availible to me. There should be a law to stop these financial predetors.

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Orchard Bank Credit Card Correspondence

1441 Schilling Place

Salinas, CA 93912

Dear Orchard Bank

Dear Orchard;

You are a pain in the ass. Just no other way to explain your existence in my life.

I applied for your "card" and requested a $2,000 limit. I have several cards but was advised to get another "to better build my credit with more payments recorded" so I applied to Orchard. I received the card....300 dollar credit limit---big deal I spend that much for an evening at my favorite Bistro. Ok, so we'll just use this once in awhile and get the payment record established. We'll make some "scheduled" payments so we can stretch out the record. We'll make a $15.00 payment and then charge some more when we reduce the balance. BINGO, two days late because of the hurricane evacuation and two amazing things happen that I really should have expected from your scam-infested organization.

1. My payment "arrived late" ( two days) and so I was charged a "late fee"

2. The "late fee was more than twice the payment. This was almost funny except that by this time I knew that in your next move to improve my credit, you would report this to TRW, Experian, my aunt, Uncle, all my kids and Jiffy Lube.

You did as expected. Within a nano-second of a heartbeat, there it was "LATE PAYMENT 30" indicated in all its glory on the consumer credit report.

Thank you so much Orchard, we will now do what we can to make sure that others do not fall into your credit-improving scam---especially on the net.

So, being retired and nothing to do but alert my fellow citizens that wish to improve their credit ratings, we shall relate this experience with your shameless organization on the net. Now, you may not be aware just how strong the net is. If one were to BUY the time and material to contact a million viewers on the net looking for card applications, it would cost a pretty penny. (Look at what your net presence cost figures are.) BUT if I want to get the word out with very little effort to those same million viewers, all I have to do is put this story on about 350 blogs discussing credit, on another 50 or so blogs talking about spam organizations and buyer-beware scams by companies such as Orchard and all its affiliates, and a few web sites that we know will be visited by robots and sent on to another million sites for reading in Google, Jinks, and yahoo.

This will be my way of saying "Thanks so much Orchard for your stupidity in action." We'll be playing on your local blog soon--watch for us!!!

CIAO

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I have a card with Orchard Bank and the only time I've had problems with fees is when I paid my bill late or went over the credit limit which is my fault.

True, I haven't had an increase but I don't need one since I only use it for minor purchases. There is a bill pay tab on the website but it does say when your payment wil post. If you dont want to wait that long use the bill pay feature from yur local bank account. Most are free and will post on the day you choose. I use B of A and have never had a problem with my payments. As for the finance charges, don't spend more than you can afford. I know that can hard, believe me, when the unexpected happens. But read the fine print when you get an offer from ANY card company and make your decisions wisely. Once you sign on that line, there's pretty muchnothing youcan do except take the abuse they spelled out to you in the beginning.

Also, I have received plenty of those bogus $5.00 checks. I was skeptical and read the back of it and saw it was for an enrollment and how much they charged and immediatley threw it away. It only takes a minute to go over a few lines to figure out whats going on. There was too much literature in there to be a no strings attached check. No company gives you a check for being "a good customer". They'll give you discount coupons, that's about it if you're lucky but not free money.

Just read over the paperwork and use common sense.

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I have to agree with everyone here about Orchard being a bad company. I just got the card 6 months ago and have been paying the balance in full after each use (same day or one day). I just have the card to build my credit and use for reservations and such. Recently they just put a payment hold on my card AFTER the payment was already deducted from my account. I called and was told that they cannot tell me why the hold was placed but the hold can take up to 5 days to be removed. It doesn' directly affect me, but this seems ly\ike pretty shady business when they hold money after they already have it. I will keep the card to have it on my credit report, but I won't be using it any more. Wish I saw this site before I signed up.

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A class action is being initiated against Orchard Bank by customers with complaints similar to yours. If you are interested please contact me at Kptoro AT gmail.com

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I am havig a NIGHT MARE with Orchard Bank, I am getting charged $30.00 late fees as well as payemnt fees. I am being calle dat work and I told the rep that if she called me her again I wouyld reach through the phone and stangle her!!! I refuse to pauy anymore on these cards {2} that I have from them. They can KISS IT!!!

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I am havig a NIGHT MARE with Orchard Bank, I am getting charged $30.00 late fees as well as payemnt fees. I am being calle dat work and I told the rep that if she called me her again I wouyld reach through the phone and stangle her!!! I refuse to pauy anymore on these cards {2} that I have from them. They can KISS IT!!!

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I've had this card for 4 yrs. I never once have received an increase although I pay my bill on time and always more then the minimum due. I asked again about an increase and was turned down but they did offer to refund my $59 annual fee. Once that posts I plan to pay them off cut the card in half and return it. Cortrust Bank gave me a $200 increase in 6 months of being open. Screw Orchard...

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I have been a card member for about a year. I have always paid my monthly payments on time. About a month ago, I paid the card off in full. I have recently received a statment saying that I was late and over my limit due to months of late charges.($500 over the limit to be exact!!) To top it off, the credit card company sent me to collections for "lack of payment", and of course, collections have been calling me nonstop. My card has been paid off in full for over a month. How can they do this?

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I haven't had any of these problems while dealing with them. I was in a situation where I had never established credit and HSBC provided me with a means to do so. After about a year and a half, my secured card was converted to a non-secured card, and my limit has automatically increased twice. The fees have remained the same. My only complaint would be that they would constantly call my house trying to get me to enroll in various programs that charge a monthly fee. Other than that I've had no problems dealing with them.

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If you need to pay your bill and can't get to it on the Internet you can go to your local Western Union and pay $12.95 to send however much you want to Orchard Bank. The code city is " Cloud " and the code state is " Or. " write it down. You will receive a receipt and a control number, no more people telling you that you didn't pay the bill. Just give these jerks a day or two to try to get their payment cause you never know what they might try to pull.

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Without going into why had to go to these guys for a credit card i am just happy i have one to use. I needed one for making reservations for hotels and car rentals and to not have to carry so mush cash on me. It serves the purpose well and it also has helped me become more responsiable with paying my bills. I do wish they would give me a small limit increase once in a while but hey as i stated above i am just happy to have a credit card!

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Orchard Bank - Rip Off

February 15, 2008

I have had this card for at least 3 years in which I have paid more than the minimum payment, have never been late and have had a zero balance for the last 6 months. Orchard Bank has never increased my credit limit or lowered their interest. When I received a statement in Dec. charging me 39.00 for annual fee, I called them and asked that it would be waived since I was a good customer, they said no, so I asked them to close my acct. I was told that they would instead send me a Gold card and I would not have to pay the annual fee plus I would get increase on credit limit. Two weeks later I received Gold card but no increase in credit limit. I got suspicious and did not activate the new card. Yesterday I received a statement that indicated a past due amount of $39.00, a past due charge of $30.00 and $1.00 finance charge for a total of $70.00. WHAT A RIP!!! and that's without activating card. I called them today and told them to close my account. I will never do business with this foreign company again.

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02-08-08 Same problem, but HSBC offered me another card, a MC with a higher credit limit, but after I used the card, the limit was lowered and I was charged an over the limit fee a higher interest rate because I was over my limit, and the payment date changes even though I was set up for auto payments and charged past due charge, so even though I was making payments there was no way to pay this off. These cards are rip offs, beware

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Orchard Bank Rip Off Advertising on Yahoo.

I clicked on their ad for a MasterCard, and the first thing I noticed is nowhere on their website do they show they are FDIC insured.

I filed an inquiry with FDIC after I saw the huge fees they require to get their card:

Processing Fee $0 - $49^

(depending on credit rating) $29 - $124

Annual Fee $0 - $96^

(depending on credit rating) $48 - $150

Their extremely high unusual fees was an immediate RED FLAG to me, and it should be to you, too.

To file a Consumer Inquiry with FDIC see this link:

https://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp

My immediate hunch that they are actually running a scam disguised by annual and monthly fees led me to this good forum.

CHECK banks out BEFORE you send them your money.

I thank YOU for your post - it saved me from being ripped off, and I am grateful for that!

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Thank You all. I received my card today. And was just looking at the web site. Before doing anything. And I Goggled it and say this site, THANK GOD The card is being cut up as I typ to you all. Thank You. One saved soul.

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I just wanted to say I agree with what you are explaining here. I am also trying to rebuild my credit. Unfortunately, we are people who ruined our credit, due to irresponsiblity or hardships beyond our control. It is just a consequence and in order to rebuild we will have to put up with fluctuating interest rates. Just don't forget to read the terms and conditions before accepting a card. I know First Premier Bank states that it reserves the right to change the terms of the account including the APR's at any time. So read the pamphlet and study it hard. But think to yourself, if the APR's go up can I afford it...because it is a good possibilty that it will. Despite the high rates, remember that you are trying to build your credit back up after bad reports and it is not going to be easy.

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I have been a customer of Orchard Bank since 2001 and still have a 22.4% interest rate on a master card. I originally was sucked into this card because of a bankruptcy in 2000. Since then my wife got a master card for 16.9% and then got a Visa card for 12.9% both from Orchard. I have improved my credit rating to over 700 and they still refuse to decrease my interest rate. Now I know why. I wish I would have known this before my wife got her cards. We will now make every attempt to pay off all of these cards and get some legitmate ones. I will also give word of mouth over the Orchard Bank card scams!!

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If you pay it off in full every month than why do you care what the interest rate % is?

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I have a complaint but mines is dealing with the super slow way they give credit line increases. I have been a Orchard Master Card holder since 2000 althought I can't complain about things like their raising my interest rate because I homestly haven't experienced anything like that but since having their credit card my credit limit is only $4150.00 now what's amusing is I have a Washington Mutual Visa which is formerly known as Providian that got around the same time frame and I used both cards heavily to this day my Visa credit line is well over 12k and I wasn't paying off the balances in one or two payments either...Oh well people might read what I posted and ask themself...what's his problem and maybe to them I don't have a "real" problem, but I just figured I throw it out there...maybe someone has some advice on that...

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No people you are wrong, I work for a credit repair company..Im telling you now if you pay the balance off every month you are waisting your time. If there is a 0 balance reported every month then it shows you are making no payments. So no payments on time means no credit score increase. You need to carry a balance and pay on it ON TIME in order for a credit score increase. Plus when getting a home loan the bankers like to say.. hmm I see youve had a 500.00 balance that you have been paying on and on time every month for a year now. Paying off the balance in full every month does save you interest, but it also shows you have x amount of dollars that you can spend at any time and be responsable for payments, nothing shows that your making your monthly payments with a 0 balance.

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I am in total agreement with the statements presented about Orchard Bank aka HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp). This is a foreign registered bank corporation and predatory lender. I myself had fallen into the "Bad Credit" category and accepted this card with the belief that it would better my credit score. How wrong I was!

It appears that this card along with numerous other cards offered by HSBC, under the cloud of different names, preys upon the less fortunate with perceived promises of improving their credit score or rating. They falsely create the illusion that your rate of interest will be between 15 to 16 percent. I have read all their advertisements and no where does it state that this is an introductory offer or that

due to your "Bad Credit Score" your rate will be raised to 29% within 6 months of inception. This so called credit score is the same one that the card is issued from!

It is extremely easy to place the blame on the skills or lack of them on handling ones finances. However when those less fortunate are intentionally mislead under legal methods of deception the time for change and protection has arrived. HSBC can be likened to the mob who breaks arms when payment are not received as promised. The mob however is always willing to accept payment up to the due date. They don't tell you an additional sum is necessary to pay 2 days in advance because their "standard online payment" won't post to your account until the third day. This makes the decision narrowed to an additional $12.95 (cost of Express Service) or a late fee of $30.00. You make the choice! They win no matter what!

I have had this card for 2 years and never missed a payment and in fact have paid the balance on numerous occasions. My reward for all this responsible handling of my finances has been an interest rate of 29% from 16% and a credit line of $300.00 (same as the initial one issued) Its called planned deception!

I would also like to note here I did try out the Sharebuilder program offered by Orchard (HSBC) in July of 2007 only to find that it too was a shame. The fees were totally out of line with main stream brokers. I can happily report that they have since sold this program to ING Corporation and all now seems to be in line with reputable brokers.

I have notice in other posts here that some pay off the entire balance every month. I have also noted that some even believe that this helps their credit. Others have even tried to compare HSBC cards with the major issuers of quality credit cards. To these folks I say, study harder and maybe apply for a position with HSBC as you have become part of the problem and not the solution.

In closing I hope all of you are doing well. I recommend you pay this card off as soon as possible and rid yourself of these parasites. I also recommend that you write your state and federal representatives and the banking commission. Your complaints will be heard in places that can do something about these problems. Make no mistake, these are serious problems and laws must be changed to protect against companies like this!

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I too have had the worse experience with orchard Bank, they says thei was to help improve my credit, this in fact was to creaste more debt, I have paid my original credit limit over and over again their customer reps are trained to keep in the hole, I deeple regret getting getting this card, I havent pid the card for some time now I am worst off than before....What a big mistake, I had no ideal this was a trp, and you are rieht the biggest mistake was to get his card, this just predatory lending...What do i do count my losses and pay the credit card off...

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With regards to everyone here...Please don't take this statement wrong, but in all honesty, this is how it works;

First, before anything, let me explain some of my current background: Bankruptcy, discharged in August 07, 2 repo's (thanks to layoffs at work) and a history of BAD finance practices! I never attended any stupid credit counselling courses (why spend more money to learn how to use mine more wisely!).

Since the bankruptcy, I have 3 credit cards and my wife has 2. These cards (HSBC is one of them) are geared for the bad credit people, like me. First Premier was our first credit card (High fees, monthly charges and low limits...Sucky card at best, but they report payments to the credit bureu's (and they have done this on time for us over the past 2 months). Because of them, my credit score went from 400 to the mid 600's inside of 2 months and has now made me eligible for better card options.

HSBC was the next card I got. $500 limit (of course, - the $79.00 fee) and a great user interface for bill payments. I have not yet paid the bill (not due yet), but I did spend a lot of time getting familiar with my billing cycles, payment terms, so on and so forth...As long as payments are scheduled 3 days ahead of time, it will be posted before the due dates (if you read through the website, they make it a point to clearly identify HOW their billing works) and as long as the balance is paid in FULL each month, I have no worries over interest rates, so I could really care less HOW high the rates go...

The key to this is simple; We all run into bad situations, the point of having to work with these high-risk credit card co's is to help build better financing HABITS, not to keep running ourselves into a hole! If you can't plan your finances and work with these guys, how the hell are you going to deal with better card companies? (Big banks, like B of A, Wells Fargo, etc... all come after you with even just a hint of a LATE payment, and you think these smaller card companies charge high rate increases...Ha! Try dealing with your LOCAL bank! Talk about screwing the little guy!)

Get into better finance habits and I'm sure you won't be complaining over HOW they charged you fees for paying on-time (just because the envelope is mailed, doesn't mean they recieved it on time...and most places don't offer any grace periods any more...). Plan ahead and only charge what you can afford, maybe your credit will move up and your stress level will move down... After years of bad habits, I had to ultimately make the decision to change my spending habits to better my credit. Once the cycle starts, it's easy to keep the momentum going!

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I am not surprised by all these complaints about Orchard Bank - aka Household Bank, aka HSBC(?). I work for a merchant who occasionally has to contact banks on behalf of customers and Orchard bank has the WORST customer service. If you can get past their automated system to talk to someone in India, they often cannot help you and have to transfer you to someone else. It is always time consuming and frustrating to deal with them. Their operations are not up to industry standards.

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What the hell is wrong with you people?

http://www.orchardbank.com

There's a freaking tab, right in the middle of the page, to pay your bill with!

Pay your bill in full every month and then you won't have to worry about the interest rate. If you don't have the money to pay the bill, then don't spend the money.

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The solution to your problem is simple. Take advantage of the grace period! Pay off the balance to $0 each month and you'll never pay the interest rate again, even for new purchases. They'll have to carry your monthly purchases for up to two months (depending on when in the billing cycle each purchase is made) for FREE!

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I too have been having trouble trying to pay my orchard bank bill online. I finally found a website last month that worked and this month when I logged on, the page had been closed. It was originally a good page because the payment I posted showed up on my statement. Here is how orchard bank works: You (the cardholder) are very busy so you wait to log on & pay your bill two days before it is due because you think that will give it enough time to post. But you can't find the page. Well by the time you realize you can't pay it online becaues you can't find the option to do that, it is too late. Now you will have a late fee added to your account. That late fee just might be what puts you over your limit which adds another $30+ to your account. Now you owe over $60 in charges by orchard bank and you also still owe that monthly payment you tried to pay but couldn't find the option to do so. Then you call in to explain and the customer support representative is acting as though you need to do a better job at taking care of your business because your credit is so important. Have no fear, she will make you feel as though you should be grateful to have one but not both of those fees removed as a one time customer courtesy. That's right, "one time" meaning if you have had any of these fees removed in the past year, you are **** out of luck this time. Don't kid yourself by thinking this is the way they make their money. When you make a purchase, the credit card companies normally get at least 3% of the amount of your sale from any business where you use your card. Anyone who has trouble with this company needs to contact the local better business bureau to reprot such behavior. Pay off those cards and refuse to do business with HSBC/Orchard Bank. Thanks for your kindness orchard bank. Merry Christmas to you too!

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i totally agree! i was paying more than the balance due each month, but still came close to my credit limit but never went over. in november of 07, they charged my anual fee, which they didnt email me about it being due, which in turn caused my credit limit to go over. they raised my interest rate from 18% to 29% for something i could of corrected if i new it was due.they also put it on my credit report as being negative. im paying this card off and i hope i helped someone else who is trying to repair there credit from being sucked in.

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I have had this card and the service is inefficient. Phone payments with the use of checking account numbers are inputted inaccurately causing payments to be rejected by the checking account bank, penalties are added by Orchard Bank who does not take responsibility for the errors of its employees. Customer Service representatives are nice but non English speaking and centered in the Philapines (sic) and Calcutta. They hold payments for up to 14 days during which of course, interest is accruing for them on billions. All credit cards are secured so there is no risk for them and sloppy, deplorable service filled with errors.

There has to be another player in town.

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the other day I got a phone call from Orchard bank saying I have a a ballance due and they need $30.00 now to keep my account current. trouble is I do not have any kind of account with this bank! the guy knew my SSI number, address and employers name, and my girlfriends name!I told the guy to send me a statement and I will look into it as I am sure i do not have a card with them. so far no statement has come and no further phone calls. the guy did give me the 800 number of theyr fraud department whic I have not called. I'm goint to talk to my bank about this.

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I have this card as well and so far no problems except for when I logged onto their web page that I originally logged onto to create and online account to make my payment I noticed liked the other people that option was gone!

I did do some research and found the link, https://www.hsbccreditcard.com/ecare/loginform?locale=en_US&brand=OB_000_000

I was able to logon there with my user id & password and pay my bill.

Just trying to be helpfull, I am taking your alls warnings and paying off the credit card. Do take this into consideration if you close an account like a credit card it will lower your credit rating. I know it sounds stupid because you would think it would show responsability by closing a credit card account. I was informed by credit counceling, my loan officer at my bank and also the suzie orman show that creditors also look at it as if you couldn't control yourself with that credit card and that's why you closed the account. It's stupid, but anything to lower yuor rating so they can hike up your interest rate when applying for credit.

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Oh my god, so I've had this Orchard credit card for at least 2 years... Pay my bill online every month... I went to log in to pay my bill today and www.orchardbank.com just pulls up a huge credit card application. No options to access your own account... just a giant application screen. I clicked on the "contact us" button at the bottom and the site would not allow me to contact them because I wasn't logged in. I clicked the "log me in" button and it told me that that page doesn't exist.

I called the 800-number (that took me weeks to figure out when I first got the card) and it did not allow for human contact. The toll-free number is completely automated and in order to speak to a CSR, you have to call a long distance number with a (503) area code.

My first question for the CSR was why such a huge company would not have a toll-free line for customer service. Of course he was Indian and didn't understand me, so I had to be transferred to a supervisor.

After 9 minutes on hold, the supervisor informed me that they are doing us a favor by not having a toll-free line because that "keeps our costs down." ?????????????

So of course she could not solve the internet problem so I was transferred to another department, on hold for 4 more minutes, LONG DISTANCE, and the next person told me that their website "doesn't like aol." That was the only solution. They're working on it.

STAY AWAY FROM ORCHARD BANK. THEY ARE A COMPLETE PAIN IN THE ASS!!!!!

***I also have a 29% interest rate, as stated above, and my credit has done nothing but improve since I got the card***

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this person is right, orchard bank is a rip off. they cant wait to put extra charges on your account. they dont have a 800 # you can call, and the # listed on your statement is automated, and it cost you to call, not the bank. this is a good way for a small bank to build their business, its almost like legal stealing. unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it, except pay them off and cansel there card.

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hi

im going through a total nightmare with them myself,

i returned the card to them last year in october,because

when i got the card,i set it up for billpay with my bank, to be paid on the 6th or 7th each month, orchard bank started charging me a late fee of 30 dollars. my due date is the 30th,so i called customer service and was told they would change the date, i have been told that by over 12 different employess of orchard bank, sine last year

and they still have not fixed it,im getting charged a late fee every month and only charged 86.00 on the card total

and am being charged over 380.00 in fees

i had my friend call them,last month and they lied to him

and said it would be fixed,

i feel for anyone who gets a card with them